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WARD'S MEXICO 



TRANSCRIPT 



FROM 



MEXICO IN 1827 



BY 



H. G. WARD, ESQ. 

HIS MAJESTY'S CHARGE D'AFFAIRES IN THAT COUNTRY DURING THE 
YEARS 1825, 1826, AND 1827 



PUBLISHED AT 

LONDON, ENGLAND, IN tS2S 



WARD'S MEXICO 



TRANSCRIPT 



FROM 



MEXICO IN 1827 



BY 



Jt> / 



H. G. WARD, ESQ. 
n 

HIS MAJESTY'S CHARGE D'AFFAIRES IN THAT COUNTRY DURING THE 
YEARS 1825, 1826. AND 1827 



PUBLISHED AT 
LONDON, ENGLAND, IN 1828 



WASHINGTON, D. C. 

PRESS OF JUDD & DETWEILER (INC. ) 

1906 



Fl 1 I 5 
SANJUAN BAUTISTA MINING COMPANY 

GENERAL OFFICES: 
513-514 OURAY BUILDING WASHI IMGTON, D. C. 

Mines: MOCTEZUMA DISTRICT, SOIMORA, MEXICO 



DIRECTORS: 

F. T. Chamberlin, M. D. . . . Director Washington Market Co., 

Washington, D. C. 

W. P. C. Hazen, M. D. . Director National Capital Bank, Washington, D. C. 

Edw. Graves . Pres't Havenner's Bakery, Director Central National Bank, 

Washington, D. C. 

Wm. G.Carter . . . Vice-Pres't Golden & Co., Washington, D. C. 

Pres't Morristown (Tenn.) Produce and Ice Co. 

GEO. P. Sacks .... Vice-Pres't Chapin-Sacks Manufacturing Co., 

Washington, D. C. 

Lewis Holmes . . . . Holmes & Son, Bakers, Washington, D. C. 

Wm. J. McClure . . . Contractor and Builder, Washington, D. C. 

A. G. Drake . Manager San Juan Bautista Mining Co., Washington, D. C. 

Samuel T. Stott Druggist, Washington, D. C. 

Hon. Walter A. Johnston .... Attorney, Washington, D. C. 

Hon. J. H. Stephens, M. C Representative from Texas. 

Geo. F. Woodward . . . Banker, Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico. 

Wm. M. REESE, B. S. . . . Mining Eng., Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico. 

E. S. ChenoweTh ...... Banker, McCracken, Kansas. 

O. C. Thomas Banker, Douglas, Arizona. 

OF="f="ICERS: 

President F. T. Chamberlin. 

ist Vice-President W. P. C. Hazen. 

2d Vice-President Geo. F. Woodward. 

3d Vice-President J. H. Stephens. 

Treasurer Wm. G. Carter. 

Secretary A. G. Drake. 

Attorney Hon. W. A. Johnston. 

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: 

F. T. Chamberlin. Hon. John H. Stephens. W. G. Carter. 

A. G. Drake. Wm. M. Reese. 



Eastern Manager A. G. Drake 

Western Manager . . . . . . . G. F. Woodward. 

Supt. of Mines . . . ' . : Wm. M. Reese, Mining Eng. 
Special European Representative '" . . . . H. J. Staley. 



LOOK US UP IN BRADSTREET'S. 



July .22 19J4P 



INTRODUCTORY. 



In the Congressional Library at Washington are two substantial, 
leather-bound volumes of thirteen hundred pages, published in 
Iyondon, England, under the reign of King George IV, entitled 
"Mexico in 1827. By H. G. Ward, Esq., His Majesty's Charge 
d' Affaires in that country." 

The author gives an exhaustive description of the country, its 
climate, different peoples, resources, and production, together with 
a complete history of the long revolutions which ended in Mexican 
independence and confiscation of the old Spanish claims which had 
been the source of vast revenues. 

He made careful examinations of the mines that had given Mexico 
her reputation as the richest mining country in the world, and 
especially those of San Juan Bautista, in Sonora, which were re- 
nowned throughout Europe for the ' ' immense wealth ' ' they had 
produced, making this busy mining camp the capital of North New 
Spain long before Arispe was built. He says : ' 'In fact, it was the 
main object of my journey from England in 1825 to visit this mineral." 

He describes fully the work done and the wealth remaining in 
that famous group of fourteen mines, which could not at that time 
be worked below the water level ; also those scarcely less celebrated 
mines known as Descubridora, Bronzosa, and Pinal, all of which 
have become the property of a number of prominent business men, 
mostly of Washington, D. C, who intend to reopen and work these 
extremely valuable properties with the aid of modern pumping and 
mining machinery. 

The San Juan Bautista Mining Company has been fully organized 
for such purpose, the property entirely paid for by said company, 
and this transcript is issued for the benefit of those who might like 
to join us in raising the necessary working capital. 

For further information in regard to these properties, address 
San Juan Bautista Mining Co., 
513—514. Ouray Building, Washington, D. C. 
3 



AUTHOR'S PREFACE. 



' ' I have endeavored to trace operations upon each branch of the 
great interests of the State, but more particularly upon the mines, 
the importance of which both to New Spain and to Europe it has 
been one of my principal objects to develop. 

"As my views differ materially from those generally entertained, 
I think it right to state, distinctly and unreservedly, that the situa- 
tion which I had the honor of filling in Mexico rendered it impos- 
sible for me to take any other interest in the issue of the enterprises 
by which I was surrounded than that which I could not but feel in 
operations in which British capital to so large an amount is in- 
vested. 

" I never have possessed a single mining share ; yet, from circum- 
stances stated in the body of my work, I have perhaps seen more of 
the mines of New Spain, and am in possession of more data with 
regard to their former produce, than the majority of those whose 
fortunes depend upon the result of the present attempt to work 
them by foreign capital. 

' ' Convinced that publicity ought to be desired by all mining com- 
panies as the only security against those suspicions by which their 
credit has so frequently been shaken, I have laid before the world, 
without reserve, the whole of the information now in my possession 
respecting them." 



TRANSCRIPT. 



Eighteen leagues to the east of Babiacora is the town of Oposura, 
the capital of the Opata nation and the residence of many of the 
principal inhabitants of this part of the State. It is a large town, 
containing upward of 4,000 inhabitants, and situated upon the south- 
ern extremity of a fine plain, on the banks of a river of the same 
name, which falls into the River Yaqui above Onabas. 

Oposura, though little known in Mexico, is one of the oldest 
established in the province and is the residence of many of the de- 
scendants of those who first settled in this State; amongst which are 
the names of Morenos, Mazo, Peralta, Bustamante, Vasquez, Mal- 
len, and Teran. As early as the beginning of the last century 
(1700), the Jesuits had erected a famous convent and church here ; 
the former is now in a ruinous .state, but the church is entirely 
built of red brick and stone, decorated with many pictures and an 
image of the Virgin which possesses diamonds, pearls, gold, silver, 
and precious stones to a very considerable value. The square is 
very spacious and surrounded by the houses of the principal fam- 
ilies ; besides which there are several good and regular streets, 
which render Oposura by far the prettiest and gayest town in the 
State. 

The whites are in greater proportion to the Indians than in any 
other place, and the Indians themselves seem in a more thriving 
condition, having better land and more live stock. Below the town 
for a considerable distance the lands are divided among the inhab- 
itants, and water from the river is carried through each lot by canals, 
so that here they can produce vegetables all the year round. Each 
family grows corn, wheat, frijoles, sugar, etc., for the annual pro- 
vision ; most of them have horses, mules, and horned cattle, which 
breed and feed in the adjacent plains and mountains. 

At certain seasons they collect the cattle, when each proprietor 
affixes his mark. It is by the number of cattle which a man pos- 

7 



8 

sesses that you estimate his wealth. Very few have money, except 
the merchants. When they kill a bull eight or ten families divide 
it, and so each kills in turn. When a merchant arrives with goods 
to offer, the people select what they want and pay in mules, bullocks, 
horses, etc. In this way they manage almost all their affairs with- 
out the necessity of money. I resided in Oposura nearly three 
months, in the house of the Cura, it being a central point, from 
which I made various excursions, so that I had a good opportunity 
of gaining a thorough knowledge of the manners and customs of the 
natives. To enter into minutia would require much time ; I shall 
therefore confine myself to an outline. The men are a fine race, 
much superior to any in the southern provinces of New Spain. 
They are very lively, and industrious, and strangers to care. The 
women are generally, well grown, handsome, with good shapes and 
complexions. A great many have blue eyes and light hair, which 
is a proof that they are not of Moorish extraction. They pride 
themselves on not mixing their blood with the aborigines. The 
women are continually employed in domestic affairs, and are excel- 
lent wives and mothers. They make all the men's clothing, as well 
as their own, which are of silk and stuff, and they are very cele- 
brated for needlework of every description, ornamental as well 
as plain. Their embroidery is not excelled by anything in Europe, 
if it is surpassed in China. Both sexes are passionately fond of 
dancing and cards, and the intercourse of society is constantly car- 
ried on in order to gratify these tastes. 

About eight leagues to the northwest of Oposura are the old and 
celebrated mines of San Juan Bautista of Sonora, which was the 
seat of government for this province long before Arispe was built. 
In fact, it was the main object of my journey from England 
in 1825 to visit this mineral. Ten days after our arrival in Oposura 
the priest, Dr. Julian Moreno, informed us that he had ordered every- 
thing to be prepared for our journey to these long- forsaken 
mountains ; that on the following day his servants, whom he had 
dispatched to the hacienda for the purpose, would bring horses and 
mules for the whole party, and that he himself, with a number of 



the principal inhabitants and the Alcalde at their head, would accom- 
pany us. Two of the cura's sisters and four other ladies announced 
their determination to be of the party, and prepared provisions of 
every description for a week, besides plenty of wine and brandy. 

On the 8th of March we set out, our party consisting of forty-five 
persons, including servants, cooks, etc. We arrived at San Juan, 
preceded by a musician, mounted on a mule, playing a guitar ■ for 
nothing can be done in Sonora without music. On the present oc- 
casion the ladies were interested in the question, as they wished to 
dance in the evenings. On our arrival we found nothing remaining 
of a place once so famous but the outer walls of the church, one room 
of which was entire, while we soon made another tenable with bulls' 
hides and blankets, which we appropriated to the ladies. The 
greater part of the men slept in the open air. Here we remained 
four days, and completely investigated the whole of the surrounding 
mountains, returning every evening to the camp, where the women 
prepared everything for our comfort. 

The "mineral" of San Juan is a mountain of itself, encircled 
by others to the north, west, and south of considerably greater 
elevation. It is three thousand yards in length from east to west 
and fifteen hundred yards in breadth where broadest, terminating 
at both ends in a point, and is entirely surrounded by a ravine 
which discharges itself at the east end into a large open plain. This 
mountain or hill has an elevation of six or seven hundred feet 
where highest, at which part the principal vein, called Santa Ana, 
crosses from north to south. This is crossed by another vein on 
the northern slope of the mountain, which is called El Rosario. 
These two mines have been worked to a considerable extent and 
have produced, according to existing documents and traditions, in 
which no one varies, immense wealth. They now contain a 
great deal of water (at least fifty or sixty varas), which would re- 
quire new shafts and whims to take it out. In this same hill there 
are twelve other distinct veins, some of which have been worked 
for the sake of those small threads of very rich silver which ap- 
pear to have formed in the center of the vein, but the azogues 



(mill ore), which are very abundant and yield from twenty-four to 
ninety-six ($67.60) ounces of silver for three hundred pounds of 
ore (according to experiments made on the spot by an azoguero 
whom we brought with us from Real del Monte), are untouched. 
The ores by smelting have yielded one-half pure silver ; and 
tradition says, when they were obliged to abandon Santa 
Ana from water coming in, they left off in a vein of pure 
silver one- third of a yard in breadth. The above twelve veins 
vary from one yard to six in breadth at the surface ; the 
depths to which they have worked are as follows : 

Santa Ana, 140 varas ; Rosario, 60 ; Cat a de la Agua, 5 ; 
Guadalupe, 4 ; Gazapa, 20 ; Texedora, 20 ; Santa Catarina, 
20; arpa, 12; prieta, 12; bellotita, 12; coronilla, 12; 
Fontana, 10. Not one of them 'has a shaft except Santa Ana, 
which is 84 yards deep to the water. Below the water there is 
no shaft. 

Half a league to the north of Santa Ana is the mine of Descu- 
bridora, with a vein of azogues (mill ore) fifteen varas in breadth. 
This mine is thirty varas deep and the metals contain ninety-six 
ounces to three hundred pounds. 

One league to the westward is the mine called Bronzosa, with an 
immense vein which may be traced at least one mile upon the 
surface. It has been considerably worked, but has water in it. 

To the north is the mining district of Nacosari, sixteen leagues 
from Oposura. 

The mines of Churunibabi, Pinal, Huacal, Aguage, and many 
others are situated to the north and northeast of Nacosari, at no 
great distance from San Juan Del Rio, built upon a stream which 
falls into the Yaqui. These " mi'nerals " are equally rich with those 
already described. 

C. B. Dahlgren, son of Admiral Dahlgren of the United States Navy, in his 
work entitled " Historic Mines of Mexico," confirms Ward's statement regard- 
ing San Juan Bautista mines. He says the ore from Descubridora is said to run 
as high as $768 per ton, and speaks of the silver mine Tobbacoatche, six miles 
west of San Juan, also belonging to this company. 



PINAL. 

Pinal contains a greater proportion of gold than silver. 

It is recorded in the archives of Arispe that the former owner, a 

lady, by name Maria Quijada, lent at one time seven hundred marcos 

(5,600 ounces) of gold for the use of the government. 

* * ***** 

In all districts above described the roads are ■ only passable for 

horses and mules, the country being very mountainous, but not of 

very great elevation. None of these mines are more than six or 

seven leagues from rapid streams of water sufficiently considerable 

to work almost any machinery. 

I have here mentioned the most considerable mining districts ; 
but in Sonora almost every mountain and hill contains silver and 
gold. Even in the plains beds of native gold have been found, in 
grains varying in size from one to sixty ounces, as in Cieneguilla, 
San Francisco, San Antonio de la Buerta, Mulatoes, Baucachi, and 
various others. Silver has been found in immense balls in Arizona. 

I have seen much of Indians and am acquainted with some of the 
tribes that inhabit the western country that stretches from Florida, 
by Texas and Cohahuila, to the Pacific. I have invariably found 
them kind and harmless when well treated. The Apaches of the 
North are an extremely independent and high-minded people. They 
have very light complexions, and will not live in towns or in a do- 
mesticated state, but subsist entirely by hunting. They are very 
brave, good horsemen, handle the lance remarkably well, and are 
good marksmen with the bow and arrow. The governor of the 
State, Don Simon Elias, told me that if an Apache leaves his hut 
for one minute, on his return he examines his bow, turns every 
arrow, and looks at the point and feather, so that he is always pre- 
pared for enemies or game. The continued wars carried on against 
them by the Spaniards for many years and conducted by cruel and 
rapacious officers gave them the greatest abhorrence of their con- 
querors, but they entertained no antipathy toward the Creoles born 
in the State, and frequently when the Spaniards were obliged to 



12 

sue for suspension of hostilities they sent two brothers, called 
Geronimo and Leonardo Escalante, to treat. These men exercised 
so great an influence over the Indians by their mode of treating 
them, that they always succeeded. In the part of Sonora last de- 
scribed the climate is charming, the thermometer ranges betwixt 
50 and 84 ; the atmosphere is always dry and clear. The inhab- 
itants require no fires in the houses in winter, nor are they oppressed 
with the summer heat. In the mountains the evenings and morn- 
ings are sometimes chilly. The natives live generally to a good old 
age ; the women are prolific, and bear from eight to twenty children, 
and in some instances have exceeded that number. 

^ ^fc ik ^C 2fc jfe rfc 

I left the north of Sonora on the 8th of May, 1826, with sincere 
regret, after having spent three months there, which I shall ever 
consider as the most agreeable part of my life. The route to the 
capital, El Fuerte, is nearly due south from Oposura; it lies through 
a country of little interest, the road winding continually through 
deep glens between ridges of mountains of a secondary class. 

Of these districts a very detailed account is given in Colonel 
Bourne's Journal. The most noted are Cerro Gordo (southeast 
of Babiacora), and the mines of Cobriza, San Antonio, Dolores 
(within a little distance of the same place); the mines of San Juan 
Bautista de Sonora (situated upon a mountain eight leagues 
to the northwest of Oposura, which is crossed in different directions 
by fourteen veins all distinctly pronounced, ) and those of San Pedro 
Nacosari and Churinibabi (to the north and northwest of Oposura). 

In all these districts the depths of the mines are inconsiderable, 
their former riches acknowledged, and the causes by which their 
working was interrupted known. The advances necessary in order 
to bring them into activity are small, for in fact it is more remit- 
tances of quicksilver and mining stores (which must be sent round 
Cape Horn to Guaymas), than money, that is requisite. No un- 
reasonable expectations are entertained by the Mexican proprietors, 
and no onerous conditions proposed ; while their respectability and 
influences in the country are the best possible guarantee to the ad- 



13 

venturers that their operations will be conducted with good faith 
and can meet with no interruption. 

The success of the enterprise appears to be unquestionable, and 
regarding as I do the prosperity of the mines of Mexico as inti- 
mately connected with that of our own trade, I should think it a 
subject of just regret, if, after embarking so eagerly in speculations, 
of which nothing certain was known, capitalists should not be found 
to engage in one the result of which can hardly be regarded as 
doubtful. 

. I am aware that many of the statements contained in this and the 
preceding books respecting the mineral riches of the north of New 
Spain will be thought exaggerated. They are not so ; they will be 
confirmed by every future report, and in a few years the public, 
familiarized with facts which are only questioned because they 
are new, will wonder at its present incredulity and regret the loss of 
advantages which may not always be within reach. 

I am willing to hope, however, that my present undertaking may 
have the effect of directing the attention of some of my countrymen 
to a field, the importance of which has been hitherto but little sus- 
pected. Many of the facts detailed in the preceding pages are known 
in Mexico only by persons immediately connected with the part of the 
country to which they relate, but by them they are unanimously 
confirmed. 

It may be asked, How the territory possessing such vast natural 
resources can have been reduced to the state of comparative poverty 
in which it now lies? The cause is simple. The precious metals 
do not in themselves constitute wealth, and as long as any communi- 
cation between Sonora and the rest of the world was prohibited, 
except through the medium of the capital, " Mexico City," and the 
port of Vera Cruz, they could not even be employed as a means of ob- 
taining the produce of European industry which they now command. 
The inhabitants, forbidden to avail themselves of the harbors upon 
their shores, without quicksilver, (so essential in mining processes), 
and without a mint (the nearest was that of the capital, 600 leagues 
from Arispe) , thought little of the mineral treasures by which they 



14 

were surrounded, and devoted their whole attention to the cultiva- 
tion of those upon which their subsistence and comforts depended. 
Their haciendas, their flocks and herds, horses and mules, con- 
stituted their only care ; and no portion of Mexico is richer than 
Sonora in these; but even at the present day, in many of the larger 
towns, money is unknown, and sales are effected by barter, the 
produce of the interior (as silver bars, gold dust, hides, and flour) 
being exchanged for the imports of Guaymas, Mazatlan, at Peticor 
Rosario, Alamos, and Cosala. There is no mint as yet nearer than 
Durango or Guadalajara, and until an establishment of this nature 
be formed the circulating medium will, of course, continue very 
small ; but the exports of the precious metals in bars and grains to 
Calcutta and Canton are very considerable, the intercourse with 
India and China being already better organized than that with any 
of the southern provinces of the Republic. 



017 505 546 



